Passive versus Active
by Insert New Name Here
Summary: Kirito, the Demon Prince. He goes through the motions of life without much thought, not truly caring about anything. Asuna, the Fairy Princess. She stands up for what she believes in, fights against what she thinks is wrong. When the two of them are forced into an arranged marriage, what could possibly go wrong? Kirisuna, more intricate than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1: Diplomatic Tensions

Passive versus Active

Chapter One: Diplomatic Tensions

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**A/N:**

**This just came out of nowhere into my head, so I hope you can forgive me for working on this when I was supposed to be working on SAO: Fallen Angels, TKC: Playing for Keeps and The League of Blades.**

**That said, two of those stories are coming along quite nicely. If all goes well, you might see multiple updates to TKC: PFK and SAO: FA by the end of the month! I'm sorry to say, however, that The League of Blades is the lowest on my priority list at the moment, due to the incredible amount of plot holes that need fixing.**

**Anyway, I think that's enough of that! On with the story!**

**I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

A room with no walls. A room where the only color in sight was silver, the most neutral of colors between the races. In reality, it was not a room at all. It was a dimension used solely as a meeting place for conflicting tribes who wished to settle their differences without violence.

The aptly-named Silver Room had existed long before all the tribes came into being, almost as if it had been around as long as time itself. No one knew its original purpose, though the invisible silver chains that occasionally let themselves be seen to those who entered implied that it was once a prison. What it once kept imprisoned boggled even the oldest and wisest sages of all the tribes, should that even have been its original purpose.

Whatever the origin and purpose of the Silver Room, it was widely known that only the members of the royal bloodlines of each race were able to open doorways to it. Thus, the room became used almost exclusively to settle differences between tribes in order to avoid war.

Two spheres of energy appeared a few meters apart, one of light, and one of darkness. They soon expanded, forming massive corridors. Two humanoid beings walked out of the corridors.

The first could only be described as an angel. White wings, porcelain skin, blond hair and a graceful yet commanding aura. He wore white robes with blue and golden trim, adding to his divine appearance. His name was Shouzou, and he was the king of the Fairy Tribe.

The second could almost have passed as human if it weren't for his pointed ears and blood-red eyes. His glossy, ebony hair came down to his shoulders where it met with the collar of his regal black coat, almost completely hiding his neck. The coat had silver and red trim, making it the complete opposite of the robes that the Fairy King before him wore. His name was Akihiko, and he was the king of the Demon Tribe.

"You wanted to see me?"

Were the words that left the Fairy King's mouth immediately after spotting the Demon King before him. Akihiko's devious grin, which he had begun sporting upon arrival in the Silver Room, only intensified as Shouzou's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yes, indeed I did."

Was the reply that Akihiko gave, his grin making Shouzou shudder. The Demon King was much more powerful due to his younger age, and Shouzou knew this well. If things broke into violence, the Fairy King knew he would be slain within minutes.

"Well, what did you want?" Shouzou asked curtly, looking Akihiko in the eye to establish that he was not afraid of the Demon King. "I'm a busy man, so try to make it quick."

"I believe that we both know how things will play out if we break into war right now, and we also both know that such a tragedy is imminent at the rate our tribes' tensions our rising," Akihiko replied, his grin replaced with a look of grave seriousness. "Both of our tribes would be in dire straits by the end, no matter who would come out on top. But I don't want that."

"What is the purpose of you explaining all of this?" Shouzou queried. "You're right; we both know that a war between our tribes is imminent. What of it?"

Akihiko once again began smiling. "I believe I have a solution that will prevent war from breaking out."

Shouzou's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. There must have been some ulterior motive behind this, but he needed to investigate further. He needed to know more about this 'solution' to discern the true plans of the Demon King before him.

"What do you have in mind?" the Fairy King queried after a moment's pause.

Akihiko smiled broadly. "I was wondering when you would ask," he said, clapping his hands exactly three times. "I hear that your tribe is quite fond of arranged marriages."

"You don't mean to—"

"But I believe I do, Shouzou," the Demon King cut Shouzou off. "I believe that the betrothal of our heirs would end the war before it begins. It would signal the end of our conflicts and the beginning of a new era of peace!"

At the last word, Akihiko threw his arms up in excitement. Shouzou just stood there, mind racing as he weighed his options. He knew that there had to be some ulterior motive, some trick behind the idea. But what if the Demon King was being sincere? What if he genuinely wanted to end the fighting?

The Fairy King decided then and there that if he played his cards right, he would be able to handle any problems his tribe may face due to deception. "All right, I'll allow it. However, your heir will stay in my tribe's territory until the wedding. If we find out that you are deceiving us, we will execute him. Do we have we have an agreement?"

The Demon King eyed Shouzou, looking for any signs of deception. When he found none, he smiled and said, "Very well, then. I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

"I will take my leave," the Fairy King said, turning around and walking towards the corridor of light he had left open. "I need to inform my council so that arrangements can be made."

With that, Shouzou walked through his corridor. It turned back into a sphere, and after a few seconds, disappeared altogether, leaving Akihiko alone in the Silver Room.

The Demon King's smile changed into a smirk fitting for the devil he was. "Shouzou, you are far more predictable than you will ever know."

He walked to his corridor of darkness, turning around just in time to see a flash of chains making themselves visible to him. "Soon, my pet. Please be patient."

With those words as a parting message, he walked through the corridor.

* * *

**A/N:**

**So, what do you guys think of this? Good or bad? Leave a review telling me what you think!**

**I know I changed the appearances of the first two characters, but believe me, there is a reason for that. Plus, they still have their human forms, both of which look like their regular appearances in the anime. (Their real-life appearances, that is.)**

**By the way, Shouzou is the name of Asuna's real-life father, for those of you who didn't know.**

**So yeah, I apologize for giving such a short first chapter. It was basically to set up the premise.**

**Well, I guess that's it for now! Here's the disclaimer!**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations, or anything I use from them!**

**See you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations and Reactions

Passive versus Active

Chapter Two: Revelations and Reactions (Kirito)

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**A/N:**

**I suppose I should say this before you proceed with the story. Kirito will be a MASSIVE Mary Sue in terms of fighting power. Don't like that? This story isn't for you, then. However, there will be very little fighting in the first arc of this story, so don't fret too much about it just yet.**

**But yeah, that's really all you need to know for now. I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

The clang of metal hitting metal rang constantly throughout the arena, resulting in sparks lighting up the night sky. The two combatants in the ring were moving at blindingly high speeds, hacking and slashing away at each other with ferocious intensity.

This was the championship match of the Inter-Tribe World Tournament, and the two competitors were the best of the best. They had won through six months of tournaments that grew in size and region, and this was their final fight. This was it for them. They had put forth an unbelievable amount of effort to get that far—

Or had they?

These two fighters had such skill, such inconceivable power, yet one of them had never had to try. He always won easily, his skills never truly being put to the test. He sprung up into the world of fighting overnight, winning every fight he went into with such ease that it seemed unreal. He never gave out his true name, but he did give an alias once he entered his first tournament.

Kazuto.

In contrast, the other contestant had started to fight at age seven, only reaching the level she was at through constant training that took up half of her day at minimum. Even after ten years, her regimen hadn't stopped; in fact, she had only intensified her training since then. After all, she had to keep in top form so that she could be ready at all times. She always gave it her all in every battle she fought. Her name was widely known due to her high status as heiress to the throne of the Fairy Tribe.

Asuna.

And yet, despite all her efforts to get to the top, to win the championship, to get the glory she strived all her life for…

Kazuto was winning.

For every strike Asuna made with her rapier, Kirito managed to strike twice with his two swords in turn. Neither of them had yet managed to land a clean hit, but the difference in skill was clear. Kazuto was just a far better fighter. His speed rivaled that of the Demon King, the fastest being to currently exist, and yet the control over his movements he displayed far exceeded what should be possible for someone who fought at his pace. It was almost as if he were the son of the Demon King himself.

Asuna knew she was losing. Everything she had worked so hard to attain now seemed out of her reach due to this boy who had quite literally appeared overnight.

She hated it.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that she knew he was holding back. She somehow knew that he wasn't giving it his all like she was, and it infuriated her to no end. She couldn't believe that she was so far below someone after training so hard for so many years. It was horrifying for her to even think of how much power he truly had within him.

Kazuto's bored expression throughout the fight only served to infuriate her even more. It was as if he didn't care about the fight at all, or he thought she was a bore to fight. Either way, the fact that Kazuto looked monumentally bored throughout the entirety of the fight so far was making Asuna feel an intense animosity towards the boy.

Kazuto, on the other hand, simply didn't care about the fight. He had been forced to enter by his father, though he had no idea why. Every match he had won so far was child's play to the young Demon Prince, and he didn't see how any of them made a difference. The only match thus far that had given him a small challenge was the championship match, and even that could be won easily if he decided to tap into just a little of his true power.

The only reason he was dragging the match out so long was to make it look like she was giving him a hard time. He didn't want anyone to think she was incredibly weak after all the things he had heard about her, how she had tried so hard to get this far. He actually pitied her, if only a little bit, for making it so far, only to be sorely outclassed by a boy one year younger than her who just started fighting overnight.

_But that's not entirely true… I _have_ been training with my father since I was six years old._

Was what Kazuto thought as he hit Asuna's rapier out of her right hand and into the air with his left sword, then hit her in the abdomen with the flat of his right blade, sending her skidding back several meters.

"So boring…"

Were the words that escaped his lips in a mere whisper. Asuna still heard them, and it only enraged her even more. This boy thought fighting her was boring? It was horrible to think about, but he did seem to outclass her sorely, and he had just easily knocked her rapier out of her hands and hit her faster than she could react.

Kazuto merely stood there, watching her with an apathetic expression as the wind tussled his ebony hair. When it became clear that she didn't understand the message held in his steel-gray eyes, he began speaking. "Go and get your rapier. It's hardly fair to fight someone with two swords when they don't have a single weapon."

Asuna growled, running over to her rapier and picking it up off of the ground. She charged him again, but he easily blocked each strike she made with his right sword. He didn't seem to want to use his left sword anymore, judging by the relaxed position he had his left arm in.

Then, faster than Asuna could even blink, Kazuto had redirected her rapier towards the ground mid-thrust with his right sword, then put his left sword to her neck. The crowd sitting in the stands watched with bated breath as they waited out the five seconds the rules gave her to counter before Kazuto was declared the winner.

And yet, despite the having an entire five seconds where she could easily break his hold on her, she didn't move a muscle. She knew she was beat. At this point, there was no way she could turn it around. She was exhausted, and it looked as if Kazuto wasn't even winded. He still wore the same apathetic expression, and he wasn't even panting, unlike Asuna, who panted heavily.

Once five seconds passed, the announcer declared Kazuto the winner. After a moment's pause, the crowd erupted into cheers. Cheers for the newcomer who captivated all the tribes. No one knew which tribe he belonged to, so everyone seemed to adore him. Even some of Asuna's fans were cheering for him, making the poor girl feel betrayed.

"I… I lost…" Asuna whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I lost so easily. Who are you _really_?"

"None of your concern," Kazuto said, turning around and beginning to walk away. Just before he fell out of her hearing range, he whispered two final words to no one in particular.

"So boring…"

With that, he left the arena, not even bothering to wait for the prize.

* * *

_It's not like it matters… I have all the riches I want at home, even though I don't want any,_ Kazuto thought as he walked through the streets.

Suddenly, he felt a vibrating coming from his jacket pocket. He took out a small, rectangular device with rounded corners, swiping his fingers across its screen and putting it up to his ear.

"Hello, Dad," Kazuto spoke into the receiver of the device. "I don't think you've ever called my cell phone before."

"Now is not the time for idle conversation, my child," Kazuto's father said from the other line. "I have an urgent matter which I wish to discuss with you. Come to the Silver Room."

"Gotcha," Kazuto said apathetically, moving towards an alleyway a few meters in front of him. "I'll use Shadow Step to warp back home, then I'll go there. That all right?"

"Good thinking, my boy. You know to be secretive with these things. I'll see you there."

The line went dead.

Kazuto walked towards the shadows of the alleyway before him, his eyes changing color from steel-gray to a vibrant red. As soon as his full body was encompassed by the shadows, he disappeared, leaving no trace that he was ever there.

* * *

Now that she was back at the castle of the Fairy Tribe, all Asuna wanted to do was go to her room and sleep the entire day off. She had failed to bring home the title, and she felt empty knowing that she lost to someone who cared so little about gaining what she had strived her whole life to attain.

"What am I gonna do now?" she muttered, tears threatening to escape her eyes. "The next tournament isn't for another four years…"

She ignored all of the servants asking if she was okay, walking up the stairs to her room. When she finally reached her door, she opened it, running to her bed and collapsing onto it as the tears she had desperately held back started to flow freely.

Soon enough, the fatigue brought by the day's events and her intense emotions caught up with her. She closed her eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

As the invisible chains of the Silver Room flashed before the Demon King, he continued to talk into the air as if someone was listening.

"Soon, my pet. Soon, with the power of the Unity Blade, you will be free. All that's left is to gather the final piece of the puzzle."

When he heard the sound of a corridor opening, he stopped talking, turning around to face his visitor. He found his son there, his ever-present apathetic expression still going strong despite the eeriness of the room.

"You called me, Dad?"

Were the first words that left the Demon Prince's mouth. He looked around for the first time, his eyes widening a fraction for the faintest of moments when he saw a flash of chains. Then, just as quickly as the flicker of emotion came, it vanished, leaving his usual indifferent expression in its wake.

"Yesterday, I had a talk with the king of the Fairy Tribe."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kazuto summoned a black sword in his left hand, adjusting his posture for a jumping strike. Akihiko could sense the anger radiating off of the boy, so he quickly added, "I didn't kill him. We talked in this room, where no powers can normally be activated."

"You say 'normally' because I'm the exception, don't you?" the boy in front of him queried, eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "Kirito, the Demon Prince, born with the power of two princes due to his twin brother dying at birth and passing his powers unto him. I was considered a threat by the other tribes, so I've never been outside the castle before you forced me into the tournaments under the alias, 'Kazuto'."

Akihiko smiled, looking Kirito in the eyes before saying, "Ah, yes. How did your final match end? I'm sure you won, but was it of any challenge?"

"No, unfortunately," Kirito replied, looking down. "That girl's fighting style was almost as good as mine, but I have far better physical attributes than her. It would've been child's play to defeat her, but I felt like the fans needed more excitement than a thirty-second match could give them. In short, it was boring. The girl herself seemed interesting enough, though.

"But back to the point of you calling me here. What's so urgent that you need to call me to the Silver Room?" Kirito finished, looking towards the invisible chains once more as they flashed before him.

"Growing a little impatient, I see," the Demon King said, smiling an eerie smile. "Very well. The Fairy King and I discussed plans for easing the diplomatic tensions between our tribes. Eventually, we agreed upon a solution."

"And that solution is?"

No sooner had the words left Kirito's mouth than did his father start talking again. "I apologize for doing this to you, but you are now set to marry the heiress to the Fairy Tribe."

"Apologies are meaningless when you don't feel remorse," Kirito said, his apathetic expression taking over once more. "But enough about that. What's your plan behind betrothing me to the Fairy Princess? You don't seriously expect me to believe that you merely want to prevent war."

"Sharp as always, my son," Akihiko said, a proud smile crossing his features. "I want to forge the key to freeing a dear friend from her cruel prison. And you, my son…

"You will be the one to do it."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yeah, this was quick. This might become my main focus for a while, depending on how much inspiration I can draw for it.**

**Also, I realize that this is still a little short for my usual chapter length, and I apologize for that. I think that my chapters will most likely get longer as the story progresses. That said, please don't give up hope on long chapters!**

**So, the next chapter will be mostly about Asuna's reaction to being told she will be betrothed to the Demon Prince. Won't _that _be fun?**

**Okay, I think that's it for now! Be sure to leave a review for me to tell me how I can improve! Favorites and follows are appreciated, too. Anyway, I think there's only one thing left to say.**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations, or anything I use from them!**

**I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations and Reactions II

Passive versus Active

Chapter Three: Revelations and Reactions II (Asuna)

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**A/N:**

**Yeah, I know. This took forever, and it's still short as balls. Sorry about that, but I honestly couldn't come up with any inspiration past the first three-hundred words for over a month. It was only last night that the rest came flowing forth.**

**Well, at least I updated, right? Please enjoy?**

* * *

"Will do," Kirito said tiredly, walking back into the corridor from whence he came. The corridor turned into a black sphere once more, then vanished altogether.

Once again alone in the Silver Room, Akihiko smirked deviously. "You may be my son, but your mind is not fully developed. The fact that you accepted such an obvious lie from me is proof of that. But that's good… with such a compliant son who doesn't question my motives, my plan will go much more smoothly."

With that, he turned around and walked into his own corridor, leaving the Silver Room for his chambers.

* * *

Upon waking from her slumber, Asuna noticed a familiar figure standing in the doorway to her room. Her father had decided to take time out of his very busy schedule to see her. Asuna had no idea what it could be about, but she knew he didn't just want to spend quality time with her. He never had time for that.

"May I come in?"

When Asuna heard those words come from her father, she knew it must have been something big. He always seemed to just barge in, so if he was asking for permission to enter her room, then he must have had something truly important to talk about.

"Yes, father."

Immediately after the words left her lips, Asuna saw her father enter her room, though due to the darkness of the room, she could not see his face. Before he walked all the way over to her, Asuna looked over to the window by her bed, the starry night sky invading her vision. Despite her mood, she couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of all the stars.

"I'm sorry about your match today," her father said tentatively.

That was all it took for Asuna's rage to come forth once more, scaring her father greatly. "That boy was unbelievable! It was like he didn't even care about the fight, and he even skipped out on claiming the prize!"

After calming down, Asuna looked to her father, an inquisitive look on her face. "So, what's so important that you would come talk to me directly about it, Father?" the Fairy Princess queried.

"I came to discuss your future."

In an instant, Asuna knew what he was implying. Her father had been practically throwing suitors at her for years, and she had politely rejected each one. He always started to introduce them with a line similar to that, though he generally waited until she was doing something outside her room to spring them on her.

"So, who am I set to reject this time?" Asuna inquired, looking at her father's troubled face.

"I'm sorry, my daughter," he replied, closing his eyes. "But this isn't a regular suitor. This is your future husband. You cannot reject him."

"What?!" Asuna shouted, making her father wince. "What do you mean, 'I can't reject him'?!"

The Fairy King sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand, a habit developed over the thousands of years of his life to help cope with stressful situations. "This isn't about you," he said. "When you marry this boy, there will no longer be worries of war between his tribe and ours."

The word, 'boy' peaked Asuna's interest. All of her suitors up until now had been grown men, so him throwing a mere _boy_ at her made her relatively interested in meeting him… until the rest of her father's words registered in her brain.

"So you're marrying me off as a bargaining chip? A political tool to be used for peace?"

Just as the Fairy King was about to object, to try to sugar coat the situation to make her feel even a little better, a familiar voice came from the doorway. It sounded devoid of emotion, as if its owner had been stripped of all feelings.

"That seems to be the case," the voice said, its owner stepping into the room without an invite. When he got close enough for Asuna to see the details of his body and face, she growled fiercely.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she queried, venom dripping from her voice. She jumped up out of her bed, preparing to summon her rapier, when he smirked. Caught off guard, she could only listen as he spoke in an infuriatingly cocky tone.

"Oh? Is the Fairy Princess acting with hostility?" he queried, voice laced with sarcasm. "I wonder what I could have possibly done to incur her anger?"

At this, Asuna summoned her rapier, charging at him in a rather reckless manner. He just stood there, waiting for her to come close, which only infuriated her even more. He wouldn't even summon his swords to defend himself? She would show him.

"Daughter, please stop this!" the Fairy King shouted, though Asuna paid him no mind as she charged.

"Just let her get it out of her system," Kazuto said, his cocky smile replaced with an apathetic frown. "I don't mind dodging for a little while."

Just as he said he would, Kazuto deftly evaded each strike made by the enraged Asuna. Whether he was moving too fast, or she was intentionally holding back in the speed department, he could not tell. After all, she had been much faster in the tournament match.

Now, contrary to what he said, Kazuto was very much beginning to mind having to dodge her attacks constantly. She was painfully slow to him, yet he knew that she wouldn't stop anytime soon. And so…

In an instant, Asuna's rapier flew into the air. It had been knocked up by Kazuto's left sword, and he had no plans of letting her get it back. He immediately leapt into the air, grabbing the rapier faster than Asuna or Shouzou could blink. As soon as he did, he dematerialized his left sword, grabbing the blade with his black-gloved left hand. He began to bend the weapon, until—

"Fine! I'll stop!" Asuna shouted desperately. "Just don't break it!"

Kazuto complied, tossing the rapier aside. "Why? All it would do is seal your powers for a day or two. Besides, it's not like you need them. The next tournament series isn't for quite a while."

"You act like you don't train daily to keep yourself as powerful as you are now," Asuna said, watching as he rapier dematerialized from the ground to her left.

"You assumed I did?" Kazuto queried, eyes widened slightly for the faintest of moments. "That was awfully presumptuous of you. I haven't had any proper training since the tournaments started. I let my matches keep me in shape."

Just like that, the last of Asuna's pride shattered. This boy didn't even train every day to keep up his strength? She had to train multiple times a day just to keep the power level she had. And this boy… he was obviously much, much stronger than her, yet he said he hadn't had proper training in months? It was almost too much for her to bear.

Still, she put on a façade of being unaffected. She began speaking to him in a voice of strained patience. "So, mind if I ask why you're here? I'll gladly show you the door."

"That won't be necessary," Kazuto said, his smirk returning. "Sorry to say, but we're gonna be spending a lot of time together."

That's when it clicked. Why he was there, why he was acting as if he lived there already, why he hadn't even said anything about leaving… it all led to one thing.

"Oh my god…" Asuna whispered, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "Don't tell me that you're the one I'm…"

A few seconds after she stopped talking, Kazuto picked up where she left off. "The one you're set to marry? 'Fraid so, girlie."

And that was it. With that, Asuna's entire world shattered around her.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Once again, I would like to apologize for the long update time and short chapter length. It was pretty terrible of me to take so long, only to come up with a short chapter like this, and I acknowledge that. I hope this little morsel was worth the wait…**

**Rest assured, however, I **_**will**_** make longer chapters… eventually. Even I'm pretty fed up with myself at the moment.**

**Anyway, I just thought I should let everyone who follows the FESR-verse know that FESRFR chapter four is almost done! It won't be long before I publish it!**

**Okay, one last thing before I disclaim this and go: a preview of my newest work! This one is called **_**The Ace of Spades**_**. I won't spoil the pairing just yet, but I would like you to know that I'm actually almost done with chapter one! Without further ado, here's the preview!**

* * *

The setting sun sent a beautiful golden-red light through the large window, brightly coloring the drab, gray walls of the executive office room. In this room, a teenage male stood, looking at a fully-grown male talking on his cell phone.

The teenager had long, ebony hair, piercing steel-gray eyes, and a well-toned, if not slightly muscular, body structure. He wore an ensemble composed entirely of black clothes, meant to hide him from eyesight when he did his job. On his somewhat feminine face was a slight frown, showing the slightest hint of the intense boredom and impatience he felt inside.

The other man in the room had a frown on his face as well, although for an entirely different reason. The business call he made wasn't going his way at all; he was almost ready to give up and pull his best card, or 'Ace of Spades' as he called it.

Or more appropriately, _him_.

* * *

**All right, that's all you get to see! Now I'll just disclaim and go!**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations, or anything I use from them!**

**See ya in the next chapter!**


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